Jenna Reid

Born in Shetland, Scotland, Reid rose among the standout young fiddlers shaped by the Gaelic folk revival spanning the late 1990s and early 2000s. Growing up in the northernmost Shetland Islands, she took up the instrument at nine and, while still in her early teens, began performing onstage alongside her sister Bethany as part of the local group Filska. Her first recordings were made with that same band, and she repeatedly claimed top honors in the Shetland Young Fiddler of the Year Competition. While maintaining her connection to Filska, she pursued formal studies at Glasgow’s Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, where she concentrated on both fiddle and classical piano and also developed her singing voice. In 2000 she became a member of the then all-female Gaelic folk ensemble Dòchas, remaining active with the group on tour and in the studio through the first half of the decade. At the same time she continued appearing with Filska and joined forces with the Scottish acts Deaf Shepherd and Fiddlers’ Bid. Reid’s initial solo release, the 2005 album With Silver & All, presented vivid readings of traditional tunes together with two striking original compositions, “The 50th Fling” and “Summer Island March.” She was supported on the recording by Harris Playfair on piano, Kevin MacKenzie on guitar, Duncan Lyall on double bass, and Paul Jennings on percussion.